Method and means for printing raised figures and the like



Sept. 6 1927. 1,641,143

C. H. ALLEN METHOD AND KEANS FOR PRITING RAISED FIGURES AND THE LIKE l Filed Jan. 15. 1926 fa- @y Patented Sept. 6, 1927.

.Unirse stares renin CHARLES H. ALLEN, PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANA.

METHOD AND MEANS FOR FRINTING RAISED FIGURES THE LIKE.

Application led 'January 15, 1926.

This invention relates to methods and means for printing raised letters and more in particular for printing figures and letters on dials. y

The primary object. of this invention is to provide a method and means for the rapid printing of letters, figures yand designs in raised forms to imitate results now obtained especially by the method of embossing on l" business-cards, letterheads and other kinds of printed matter.V Another important object 4is to provide means for printing figures and letters `on clock, and othera dials with semi-liquid printing compositions. such as radium compositions, for 'making luminous figures or designs on clock-dials or other dials used on measuring instruments and so forth. A further object of this invention is to provide means for printing figures with such materials by means o'f compressed air. and also to provide means which automatically interrupt the supply of compressed air to the printing composition after each printing operation. Additional features and advantages of this invention will appear from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying drawing. forming part of this application and in which 1 shows diagrammatically ka complete printing outfit built in accordance with this invention. n

Fig. 2y is a fractional detail view showing a special clutch-operating mechanism used in 1 and which shall be described later. v

Fig. 3 is an enlarged viewv printing device proper.

Fig. 4 is a 'fragmentary showing the bottom view of one type of printing die used in connectiony withthis invention.

Fig. 5 shows in perspective an enlarged view of one of the figures of the printingdie shown in Fig. 4. 6 is a cross section through the cam operated air-supply-valve used in Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a similar vview ofthe air-disclirfirge-valve.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8-8 in` Fig. 5 showing a die-feedingtube greatly enlarged. e

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section showing a differentfmethod of making the figures in` the pr'-inti1igV die by the engraving-process.

Fig. 10 shows anothermodilication adapt- Seral No. 81,537.

ved especially for engraving the gures or symbols in small die-plates.

Heretofore7 the printing of raised figures, such as luminous gures on dials, has been performed completely by hand or by stenciling, which latter' processJ owing to the nature of the printing' composition used, and the thickness thereof needed for effective luminous radiation, requires a great amount of time for retouching purposes. The present invention performs the printing of said figures with the same kind of printing composition by means of a novel type of die shown in particular in Figs. 3, 4, 5, 9 and 10.

.Referring to these figures and assuming that the figures for a clock-dial are to be printed with a luminous compound, the printing element comprises aY die-plate 1 upon which are properly disposed the individual dies 2 for the figures. Said figuredies comprise outer wallsv Sand inner walls 4, suitably bent or engraved to reproduce the desired figures. rlhe` radium composition required for printingl is introduced between the walls ofthe figure-dies by means of small feed-tubes 5 or holes 5a. disposed substantially Vhalf-way between said walls and driven right through the die-plate if tubes are used, or drilled if holes are used. In the Vformer .case the tubes are set back a certain distance from the working edges 6 of the walls to enable a ready flow of the composition therebetween. The height orA thickness of the printed gures is determined by the. height Aof the walls of thetigure-dies, as will be understood.

The print-ing composition is introduced in a container .7, comprising the side 8 provided with the flange Swhereby the container is secured to a frame 10 by means of the screws 11. This container is closed at the bottom by the die-plate 1 whichl is secured by screws 12 or other suitable and desired means. A gasket 13 is preferably made use of to insure a tight connection between the die-plate and flange.

The container has at the top a removable cover 14 having a gasket 15, which is clamped in place by means of the hingebolts 16 and their wing nuts 17. Atn the center of this cover there is provided a stuffing-boit 18, of usual' design, through which passes the vertical` shaft 19 of the stirring device or agitator 20. yThe shaft is guided l'or rotation in a hearing' 2l. formed en a Support E22, hurinfl' a bracket 223 upon which an electric niotor .Eil nnilr be n'lonnted to o pe 'nte the agitator. rThe porter of reid inotor is tinnsinitted to the elnift lll by ineens ot Speed reducing genre repreoented by the bevel-goor;

The printing' compoeition is intrmlueed into the container either bj.' ren'ioriiur the cover lil, or through n. Suitable aperture E2G, which is closed by a threaded plug; i.

Seid coniponition ie forced through the feed tubes or through the apertures fr no the cone nnrr be. b r compr ed :iir whirh is introduced in the contain f the ehren' connection Btl Screwed `in the top cover. Thin nir naar be obtoined 'troni en r suitnblo soured Such :is :i pre1# e ntornw. tanti, or from :i special conipr r plant :is shown in Fig. 1. .his air compren-@ingr nppnrntnn comprises on electric niet r E35) connected to un nir eonipreesor l() i'clneh dein the eolnpreesed air into e. etorziego tanli lll whence it is led into the contziinor 'l' through u. pipe connection 3i?, into which :i reguhiting Valve. S3 is preterobl ploced to adinet the pressure and aniouni` ot eoinpi'er'f-eed :n r delivered into Seid container.

The blank @heet or dial upon which the luminous .figures ure to be printed, first Set in n hiiuldingp; device ot Atujitehlc shnpe and. construction to hold Said bhnih, .ch the template let. inminted upon a vertically niorzible table provided with a centrnl rod 3G elidnblyiY mounted in a bearing; El? limerning;- port of the jtriune lll. The blnnlr: in then pres-sed :igainrt the tigrurcdiee by raisingl the trible flo :ind the printingl compound in thirdly vforced on Seid blanh dial or heet by letting; the eon'ipree ed air net on the eonnlnound in thel container und forcing out the coinpoinnl onto the blanlf. ,filter :i nuliieient ernennt ot the compound hanI been depoeited on the lolzrnh, the compressed air in the contaiiner is released, the trible in then lmrered to en- :ible the reniorzil ot' the now 1 rinted blind; ond the in irtion oit e. new blanlr.

ln order to expedite the printing; procese, il'or quantityv nninulnrtine moet nl" the above mentioned operon'ione` are quickly performed se1ni-1|utonndiczdl): hr nenne ol the tolleninnr ineehziniein: lilinfredly connected to the lower end of the. rod lo by nieanr-f of the pin connection S8 is n lever El.` enitnbly tulcrunled :it el() and bovine* et its; other end lll. an nntilirirtion roller r lhe hitler rides upon n. ealn itil the peripheryv oit which hen Substantially the Shape ehorrn in lie. l. This; ciun in occured upon a @hatt AVlf-l; which in rotatablyy mounted in :i bcaringr l provided in the standard Sil and which nini.' be connected to the slnitt oi" en electric inotor fifi bjr .ineens ol any suitable der iee, Such :is the clutch-coupling l-cl hariw); one holt keyed on the motor hatt i9 while the other hall Lemerre is rlidoblyv held on Shaft fzlxlby inennS of on ordinary feather he)y 50.

llpon the ehaift l; in also secured n nproclriet which in connected by u chain drirr tiff) to another Sprocket 53 ot equal linineter hered upon :i nliatt oet running,1 in i bran-nie; ilo locirtcd in the upper port ot he stunrhird lo. (lo the other nido of this bearing :ire liejcd on the nhat't :i spur gein.' 52? ond a enr 5T. Upon the letter rides the hor-ir end o the ralreetenl 5S oiI the nir supply valve Si), the construction of which, ns :h-fwn in lilo'. (l. in such that the valve will be opened when the rtenl titl is rnised by the earn.

in medi with gein' 56 is another gear GO ol' the Sonie Size. The lutter is eecured on thi. itt (ll upon rhieli in n so keyed .fr coni r deh nl engaged by the stein G3 of the .ur disch; wie vulve (il. rhown eepecuilly 1n 5) opened. telve (il: will remain shut, and li'll. YQTSI.

i: will readihT understood, compressed air nuirt he introduced in the container 7 only' when the blank dizil if; prf-,Seed against the dieplate l. i'tlflo when the table 35 is dropped, no compre sed :tir should be present in the container ln order to prevent Waste it the printing' composition.

the operation olf the miren 59 and lll elleetod :inteluntirnlly in the desired time relation inthe following4 ninnner: fit. the outer end ot the lerer firm, itl in hingedly ref-,nred the lint: the .lower end oit which i5; roelmblj: connected bjr the pin connection (lo lo :i lever (i7 ituleruininl nt (3S on the Stondard tit lhe opposite end of this lever con norte by' ineens oli i pin connection 69 to the enbrtantialljif T-.ehapcd lever T0 roclnibly inonntcd at "il on :in enten .'.on T2 provided l l n "0 ,l f id Sfiiindfnd. the upper alni m ol. the lever T0 terininziten at the top with a. fork il which is provided .vith the nnual ineens reduired to fdide the movable hall; of the empline itil into or out ot engagement with the inotorlizdf thereof. rlhe third erin of the lerer Til is connected bjr means oit the poll-rod to :i iednl i'l' nuitably n'iounted on the door.

llzified on the Following: dencription, the operation ot the device will be reildiijir nnder tood. it :in vlol.low f: .i ele-nolineV that. the eblrhe in the lowered position shown in lf uf. l. that :i blank dial hanA been et thereon to he printed and that the electric motora1 be :ill riuuiine'.4 the operator proef-'ofi on the nrdol TG 'tor just :i sulllcient time to cause the uiorable halt ot the clutch cinipliixg;n to einragre the motor-halt n'herelnf the shaft Lift .ii rotated. This cnneretion causes also the lever ll to rotate cloelwiee thus forcing the lfanhv dini :rtreinet the dieplote l. Siinulte'neonsly the rotation oit the shaft 4.1i is (lil S lee transmitted, through the chain drive 52, to the cam 57 which opens the valve 59 while the discharge valve 64 is keptshut byV its internal spring 79.

The compressed air is therefore enabled to act on the printing composition stored in the container and said composition will be forced through the ieed tubes and deposited in the form of figures on blank dial. In the meanwhile the roller 4:2 i'ollows the contour oi the rotating cam Li?) until it drops into the recess 77' under the influence oi' the weight oi' the table 35,v assisted by the coil spring 7S acting on the lever 39. This mo# tion is transmitted by thelink 65 and the lever 67 to the T-lever 70 which is caused to rotate counter clockwise, lthus disconnecting the clutch coupling'.v Simultaneously y they supply valve 59 has been shut by its spring 80, the discharge valve 64e opened to release the air in the container and the ta'oie vlowered to remove the printed dial and insert anew blank dial. The same proc fs@ would be started again by first press down the pedal 76.y

In the present embodiment` oft my invention I have shown the use ot' three distinct motors to operate various parts of the printing plant. In practice, however. kone single motor could be made to perform all the required operations by introducing in the construction suitablemoditications which would re nire only mechanical skill to devise.

s will be understood, as suggested herein, there may be slight changes made in the construction and arrangement of the details ofmy invention without departing from the field and scope ot the same, and I intend to include all such variations` as tall within the scope of the appended claims, in this-application in which' the lpreferred forms only of my invention are disclosed.

Al. In a press for printing raised figures and the like on a blank, the combination of a container for the printing compound; a die-plate forming` the bottom oi said container, a. plurality of hollow dies` positioned on said die-plate and having` the shape ot said figures; a plurality of feed-tubes positioned within said hollow-dies and in communication with said container, means to exert a fluid pressure on said compound during the printing period of Vsaid dies and means adapted to release said fluid pressure during the non-printing period ot said dies. 2. In a press for printing raised figures ,table with said hollow-dies and mea-ns to release said fluid-pressure just before said engagement is broken,

3. In a press tor printing raised igures and the like on a blank, the combination of a container tor the printing compound; a dieplate forming, the bottom of said container; a plurality of hollow-dies positioned on said die-plate and having the shape of said figures; a plurality of feed-tubes positioned within said hollow-dies and in communica-Y tion with said container; a table for said blank; means to move said table into and out of engagement with said hollow-dies, means to exert a iiuid pressure on said compound during the engagement ot' said table with said hollow-dies and means to automatically release said duid-pressure just betore said engagement is broken.

4. In a press for printing raised figures and the likeon a blank, the combination of a container for'the printing compound; a die-plate forming the bottom of said container, a plurality of hollow-dies positioned on said die-plate and having the shape of said figures; a plurality of feed-tubes positioned within said hollow-dies and in communication with rsaid container; a table for said blank; means to move said table into and out of engagement with said hollowdies, said means comprising a rod, a'lever hingedly connected thereto and a cam; a sha-tt for said cam; means to rotate said cam-shaft; a source of compressed air. an

air supply valve, an air release valve; mea-ns Y actuated by said cam-shaft to open said supp157 valve when said table is in engagement with said hollow-dies and to open said release-valve just before said engagement is broken, and means actuated by said lever to stop the rotation of said cam-shaft simultaneously with the opening of said release valve. l

In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature.

CHARLES H. ALLEN. 

